14 Top Tequilas to Craft the Ultimate Margarita

The margarita may just be the perfect cocktail. It’s zesty, refreshing, and only requires a few ingredients to make. Shake up some tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and maybe some agave syrup and you have yourself a tasty drink. However, a margarita is only as good as the tequila you use. Many people assume that any old tequila will do for mixing, but if you’ve been reaching for the cheapest bottle on the shelf, you might be missing out on a way better cocktail.

As a former bartender, I’ve mixed my fair share of margaritas over the years. It wasn’t until I moved to Mexico though that I realized how diverse tequila can be. From distillery tours and tequila tastings, I learned that the tasting notes of different tequilas can drastically change the flavor profile of a margarita. For example, an unaged blanco can provide freshness that pairs perfectly with the other elements, while an añejo can be too rich and oaky. I also learned that brand matters.

To uncover which tequilas make the best margaritas, I spoke to some Mexican spirits experts and master mixologists. They told me that while you don’t necessarily need a top-shelf tequila to make a great cocktail, you do want something that will go down smooth and add great flavor. These are the tequilas they recommend for next-level margaritas, along with some of my personal favorites.

At a recent Mexican spirits tasting session by Vallarta Tequila Tastings, I had the chance to chat with owner Corinna Levine Dahlin. She’s an absolute fountain of knowledge about all things tequila, as well as lesser-known Mexican spirits like sotol, raicilla, and bacanora. When it comes to classic margaritas, she said, “It’s all about the blancos because you want that agave freshness.” One of her top recommendations is Tequila Orendain Blanco.

Tequila Orendain began in 1926 when founder Don Eduardo Orendain opened a distillery in the town of Tequila. The company is still family-run today and uses many of the same methods that put its tequila on the map nearly 100 years ago. The award-winning Tequila Orendain Blanco is made with agave piñas that are cooked in brick and stone ovens, then pressed five times. After the juice is fermented and distilled, you get a bright agave-forward blanco with notes of citrus, herbs, and just a touch of pepper on the finish. The flavors meld beautifully with tart lime juice and sweet orange notes. It’s also great value at about $17 a bottle depending on where you buy it.

Have you ever tried a particular brand of spirit and instantly wondered why you never tried it sooner? That was the case for me with Cazcanes. If you’re looking for an ultra-smooth tequila for your margaritas, Cazcanes No. 7 Blanco is the way to go. It’s a luscious, full-bodied tequila that has great minerality and bold notes of agave and citrus. It does a great job of rounding out the acidity of lime juice and has a soft mouthfeel that complements velvety orange liqueur.

Produced in Amatitán, Jalisco, Cazcanes tequila is made with natural spring water from volcanic mountains and agave that’s harvested when the sugar content is at its peak. Only wild yeast is used for fermentation. The Blanco is unique in that it’s aerated before bottling to open it up and rested in stainless steel vats for up to three months, which gives it a more robust flavor. Cazcanes also has a limited-edition No. 9 Rosa Blanco that’s pretty intriguing. It’s aged 31 days in Cabernet Sauvignon oak casks, which gives it hints of vanilla and fruit that can add extra layers of depth to margaritas. The Blanco and Rosa Blanco cost about $73 and $109, respectively.

Another tequila that Corinna Levine Dahlin was quick to recommend was Cascahuín Blanco. Run by the Rosales family for four generations, Cascahuín is highly regarded for its top-notch tequilas made with blue agave from Valles de Jalisco (the Jalisco Valleys). The attention to detail is present in every step of the process, from cutting the piñas into uniform pieces for more even cooking to the 25-hour slow-cooking process in stone ovens and open fermentation with natural yeasts. The blanco is the purest expression of the tequila when it comes out of the still.

On its own, Cascahuín Blanco offers fresh flavors of cooked agave and earthy minerals from the natural spring water. Tasting notes include grass, citrus, and black pepper with hints of lemon and lime. Mix it in a margarita and you get a vibrant cocktail that balances the sweetness of the agave with those citrusy notes and an overall clean-tasting drink. Like many of the tequilas on this list, Cascahuín doesn’t use additives in its products, so you’re less likely to feel rough the next day. A bottle will set you back about $53.

Curamia is a tequila company that I recently got switched onto and it’s fast becoming a favorite for cocktails like margaritas and palomas. There are a few things that set Curamia apart from other tequila brands. For one, it’s women-founded and wellness-focused. Guadalajara-born chef Dafna Mizrahi teamed up with spirits expert Melissa Del Savio to create a pure, clean-tasting tequila. The result is a range of expressions that are made with 100% agave and no added sugars or fake flavors. The Curamia Blanco is a great example of how fresh the tequila is before any aging takes place.

All of the Curamia expressions start with lowland agave from the foothills of the Tequila volcano. The juice is extracted using a water-steaming process that reduces the average amount of water used in traditional tequila making. Mineral-rich spring water enhances the tequila, giving it a taste of the terroir and a soft finish. The Blanco is crisp and herbaceous with hints of fruit like peach and lime, as well as just a touch of vanilla. I love it because there’s no harsh aftertaste, which is exactly what you want for ultra-sippable margaritas. It sells for about $43 a bottle.

Lalo Tequila has been getting a lot of buzz lately. As Corinna Levine Dahlin said, “Cocktail makers are very into Lalo.” The company was founded by friends Eduardo “Lalo” González and David “R” Carballido, both of whom grew up in Jalisco and were deeply involved in tequila making. González is a third-generation tequila maker and Carballido worked for many big-name tequila makers. They formed Lalo to make one thing and one thing only: blanco tequila. No aging, no flavoring. Just fresh blanco done well.

Lalo tequila is made with just three ingredients: agave from the Jalisco Highlands, deep well water, and champagne yeast. The agaves are hand-picked when they’re about six to seven years old and cooked in brick steam ovens for up to 32 hours. Then they’re rested for up to 18 hours before the juice is extracted. The champagne yeast brings out the brightness of the agave and gives it unique flavor notes. The tequila is bright and sippable with notes of citrus, earth, vegetation, cinnamon, and of course agave. It’s great for classic lime margaritas or lighter concoctions like a ranch water. A bottle of Lalo Tequila rings in at about $37.

For Jeff Bell, renowned spirits professional and managing partner of Please Don’t Tell, a good margarita needs a tequila that’s bursting with character. He told us, “You want to use a super flavorful blanco — you can tell just by the aroma if it’s vibrant, lively, vegetal. A great blanco has the aromatics akin to the scent of a freshly snapped green bell pepper.” One of his top choices for a tequila that hits all those notes is El Tesoro Blanco.

El Tesoro is produced at La Alteña distillery in the Jalisco Highlands, where master distiller Carlos Camarena follows in the footsteps of his grandfather and El Tesoro founder Don Felipe Camarena. The agaves are harvested from the mineral-rich soil and cooked in stone ovens for up to 48 hours, then crushed with a traditional stone tahona wheel. The juice is fermented with natural yeast and the agave fibers, then distilled twice to proof. The Blanco is what you get straight out of the still, and it goes big on minerality and fruity, peppery, agave flavors that are perfect for margaritas. Bottles of the Blanco sell for about $65.

Nikki Bonkowski is the VinoVoss AI Sommelier and a master mixologist I often turn to when I have technical questions about particular aspects of bartending. She brought up an interesting point which is that frozen, shaken, and stirred margaritas have different rates of dilution, so you want to consider that when choosing a tequila. She said, “Frozen will have the highest [dilution rate], next will be shaken, and the lowest dilution will be stirred.” Therefore, she said you probably want to go with a bottom-shelf tequila for frozen margs, mid-shelf for shaken, and top-end for stirred.

I’m a huge fan of shaken margaritas, and for that, Bonkowski recommended Amatiteña Blanco. Founded by third-generation tequila distiller Alberto Partido Hermosillo, Amatiteña is all about lowland agave cooked in stone ovens fueled by mesquite wood. The agave is crushed with a volcanic stone tahona wheel and wild fermented. The Blanco is full-bodied with smoky agave at the forefront and mineral, vegetal notes. It also has a touch of fruitiness that really shines in a shaken margarita. Bottles are priced around $65 depending on the vendor.

Siete Leguas is a brand that every expert I spoke to recommended for margaritas and it’s easy to see why. Since 1952, the company has been producing small-batch tequila made with highland agave and natural spring water. It’s made with artisanal methods like cooking the piñas in brick ovens, crushing them with a stone tahona wheel, open fermentation, and distilling in copper stills. Corrina Levine Dahlin and Jeff Bell both suggested the Siete Leguas Blanco for margaritas because it offers bold flavors of agave, black pepper, and citrus fruit. It also has a buttery finish that can add richness to margaritas.

Nikki Bonkowski likes to take her margaritas one step further with the Siete Leguas Reposado, which is aged in American oak barrels for eight months and offers notes of oak and vanilla. She said, “My perfect margaritas will always be made with a reposado. The longer aging process on a reposado allows for a fuller flavor. Reposados also have a natural sweetness to them that allows you to hold back on the sweetness you’re adding to the drink.” Bottles of the Blanco and Reposado are priced around $50 and $55 respectively.

When I asked Nikki Bonkowski if there were any underrated or lesser-known tequilas that are great for making margaritas, she recommended Tequila Ocho Plata. Founded in 2008, Tequila Ocho is a relatively new tequila company, but the founders certainly weren’t lacking knowledge. Carlos Camarena’s family has been growing agave for five generations and he’s a third-generation distiller. Co-founder Tomas Estes was the official tequila ambassador for the European Union. Together, they created a brand dedicated to proving that terroir is just as important for tequila as it is for wine.

All of the Tequila Ocho expressions are made with agave from the Jalisco Highlands that’s harvested when it’s between seven and 10 years old. Artisanal methods include slow-cooking the piñas in brick ovens, allowing them to open ferment with natural airborne yeasts, and distilling them at low temperatures. The Plata is soft and round with an intense agave flavor mixed with earthiness from the terroir and herbaceous, minty notes. It also has a fruity sweetness that contrasts nicely with the lime in classic margaritas and can enhance tropical fruit versions like pineapple margaritas. A bottle costs about $43.

While artisanal tequilas may be hard to find in some parts, Don Julio is a brand that’s pretty ubiquitous in bottle shops across the States, Mexico, and beyond. But don’t let its easy availability fool you. Both Nikki Bonkowski and Jeff Bell say the Don Julio Blanco is a pretty solid choice for elevating margaritas. It’s clean tasting with the cooked agave front and center, followed by notes that pair well with classic margarita flavors like lemon, citrus, black pepper, and grapefruit.

The Don Julio brand was born in 1942 when Don Julio González secured a loan to build his La Primavera distillery in the Jalisco Highlands. He quickly earned a reputation for his vibrant tequilas made with agave that was hand-picked for optimal age and health. The Blanco is the base for all the tequilas in the Don Julio collection. It’s made by slow-cooking the agave piñas for 48 hours in traditional brick ovens. The juice is fermented with proprietary yeast, then distilled in stainless steel stills. It’s a respectable mid-range tequila that will set you back about $40 a bottle.

If you’re looking for an affordable tequila for margaritas that goes big on flavor, both Nikki Bonkowski and Jeff Bell recommended Espolón Blanco. You may recognize it for its fun label featuring a skeleton riding a rooster like a revolutionary hero. The name actually means “to spur” in Spanish, which is a nod to the company’s progressive ethos. The tequila is made in the Jalisco highlands with 100% agave and deep well water. The piñas are cooked in stainless steel autoclaves, crushed with roller mills, and fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The Espolón Blanco is a great mixer for cocktails like margaritas because it has a light to medium body that won’t overpower the other ingredients. The tasting notes include agave at the forefront, along with supporting notes of fruit like lemon and pineapple. You also get a touch of vanilla and black pepper. It has a slight harshness on the finish, which might not make it the best sipper, but the tart lime and sweet orange liqueur in a classic margarita can mellow that out. Bottles sell for about $24 depending on the retailer.

Rounding out Corinna Levine Dahlia’s top picks for great tequilas that work well in margaritas is Centinela Blanco. It’s produced by Casa Centinela, which has a lengthy history that dates back to 1904 when the distillery was established in the Jalisco Highlands. Over the past 100-plus years, the company has grown exponentially and is now a huge operation with agave plantations spanning an area that equals 3,000 football fields and one of the largest tequila cellars in the world with space for over 50,000 oak barrels.

With such a massive operation, you might think that Casa Centinela would stoop to the level of some other big-name producers and lessen the quality of its tequila with added sugars and other fillers. However, Centinela keeps it real with 100% agave that’s cooked the old-school way in stone ovens. The juice is then fermented with proprietary yeast and distilled in stainless steel stills with copper coils. The Centinela Blanco is sweet and spicy with enough agave flavor to stand up to cocktail mixers and slight hints of vanilla. A bottle will run you about $40.

If you’re planning on whipping up a batch of margaritas at a party or gathering and want a solid tequila that’s going to go over well with a crowd, Herradura Silver is a good bet. It’s a pretty well-known brand, so it’s easy to find and it rings in at about $40 a bottle, so it won’t break the bank. It has sweet notes of vanilla with some citrus and green pepper, which goes well with classic margarita flavors. It also works well in spicy margs, giving a bit of edge without being overly complex.

Herradura has a long history of tequila making. The company was established in 1870 in Amatitán and sources its agave from the Jalisco Lowlands. The piñas are cooked in clay ovens, much like they were in the early days, although the company now uses modern roller mill extraction methods. Like many reputable tequila brands, it uses open-air fermentation methods, and the natural yeasts come from 16 different types of fruit trees on the estate property. The Silver tequila is aged for 45 days in oak casks, which also gives it a unique flavor and extra body.

Like your margaritas packing some heat? If so, Jeff Bell has just the tequila for you. He told us that people are always asking for spicy margaritas at Please Don’t Tell, and for that, he and his team opt for a newer brand on the market: Superbird Fuego. It’s made with 100% agave infused with jalapeño. Bell said, “I like this for a spicy marg because it’s a fantastic product, but also a consistent spice level. Hot sauces can lead to a muddy drink and fresh jalapeños can make the drink so spicy that it’s undrinkable.”

Superbird Tequila is part of the Casa Komos Beverage Group, which also makes Tequila Komos. In 2023, Superbird launched three tequila expressions: the Blanco, Reposado, and fiery Fuego. The company also makes ready-to-drink canned tequila cocktails like the paloma, tequila sunrise, and tequila sodas. The Fuego tequila gets great reviews from mixologists like Bell and casual sippers alike for its smooth character and just enough heat to make your mouth tingle without blowing out your tastebuds. People also like the approachable price of about $28 a bottle.